The Report of Kawamura Memorial DIC Museum of Art
Physical Space
How does the museum building relate to its surroundings? Is it similar, different, larger, smaller than the urban fabric around it?
Kawamura Memorial DIC Museum of Art exists in a suburb far away from the center of a town. It is surrounded by a forest in which has a small lake. Besides, the museum is located on 10 hectares of parkland with a nature trail, which passes through lawn grounds. I saw a variety of flowers along the path and wild birds in the lake. A ticket office, a gift and novelty shop and a restaurant named Belvedere set up outside of the museum and a large parking lot is across a road. The museum covers a vast area in contrast to an urban one.
What is the exterior interior like? Is it decorated? Can you tell what style of architecture it is? How does it relate to what you see inside?
An exterior reminds me of a western castle because of two column shapes of the facility with two conic roofs. The building doesn’t look like a medieval decorative castle, which omits extra decorations and is designed contemporarily.
Similarly, an interior is a modernistic design. A wall, a ceiling, a floor and even a bench inside a room are organized in each room so that art works harmonize with the decorations.
Similarly, an interior is a modernistic design. A wall, a ceiling, a floor and even a bench inside a room are organized in each room so that art works harmonize with the decorations.
What is the entrance lobby to the museum like? How does it shape the beginning of your museum visit?
Who is attending the museum? What is the general atmosphere like?
A broad generation are in the museum. Especially, a rate of the elderly is higher than other ages. Most of them visit alone and appreciate art works slowly. Over 40 years people accompanied with their partner appreciate the exhibitions, stating each impression of an art silently. I saw a few youngsters walking around in the gallery, but they weren’t showing an interest in the exhibitions at all. People around the same age gazes at a object for a long time.
How are the galleries organized? Why do you think the galleries and exhibitions look the way they do?
How is your object displayed? What other objects is they near to, and why?
Paintings are arranged on a wall at regular intervals. Some paintings are displayed in a frame. In case s drawing isn't protected by it, there is a low fence in front of them to prevent visitors from getting close to the works.
Draw diagrams or pictures to help you remember the layout of the museum and exhibition rooms.
What is being shown
- Form
Note textures and the quality of the surface of the work. What adjectives could you use throughout your analysis?
Textures are divided by period or style.For example, almost all objects in a room of modern paintings from impression to the Ecole de Paris are painted in oil. Therefore, their surfaces are sticky, bumpy, damp, greasy and mushy. I note textures by period and art style.
- Modern paintings from impression to the Ecole de Paris: Same as above statement
- Traditional Japanese art: rough, dry, smooth
- 20th century European art: bumpy, sticky, damp, limp
- 20th century American art: hard, slippery, sharp, dull, crisp, metallic, shiny, limp
- Bronze sculpture: shiny, hard, smooth, slippery, waxy
How does the artist use line, color, light and shadow?
What about the composition? Is it balanced, symmetrical, asymmetrical? Why?
How big is the work? How does size affect your reaction to the work? How does size affect the depiction of the subject?
- Context
What can we tell from the label?
Where was the work originally meant to have been seen, and how might the current context in the museum be similar or different? What might it have been like to view the work in its original context?
Where is the viewer meant to stand in relation to the work? Is there one viewpoint or multiple viewing points?
Identify the subject matter. Be certain to describe all of the components depicted. Is this artwork telling a story? Is it religious or mythological?
- Why?
Why this piece and why this place?
Visitors
Who is there?
What are they doing with their bodies?
- Body Movements
- Face expressions
- Language – Behavior
A Transcription of a conversation